The Roots of the FARC

Also for getting a sense of the extent to which the rise of guerrilla groups in Colombia (FARC, ELN) in the middle of the last century is related to the trenchant conservatism of its elites, with their historically steadfast resolve in countering any sort of social or agrarian reform or opening of the political system. Also for understanding how the NO vote against the peace deal with the FARC is still connected to questions of land ownership in the countryside. For anyone interested in further understanding the context for the rise of the FARC, I recommend the excellent book by historian Herbert Braun: “The Assasination of Gaitán: Public Life and Urban Violence in Colombia”.